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The Winnipeg Jets resumed their back-to-back woes on Friday night in Calgary.

After snapping their skid of nine consecutive losses when playing the second game in successive nights, the Jets lost again in that situation, falling 5-3 to the Flames.

They didn’t play listless hockey for the entire game. In fact, they registered a season-high 45 shots on goal. It was the first 10 minutes — 10 absolutely horrible minutes — that did them in.

The bigger picture, however, remains Winnipeg’s inability to win on the road. It doesn’t matter when they play the games. Their special teams are awful, and they never do enough to win.

The Jets should have jumped all over the banged-up Flames, but they couldn’t do it.

Now the Jets have their second longest break of the season — they don’t play again until Wednesday — and the teams chasing them are going to have ample opportunities to overtake them.

All in all, it was a western road trip to forget.

Little things add up

It’s amazing how the little things can build up into a goal against, just like Calgary’s opening tally. Randy Jones failed to hit Mark Flood on the tape with a pass. Flood got pressured because of the bad pass and ended up taking a penalty when he shot the puck over the glass. Bryan Little had a chance to get the puck out of the zone but he didn’t give it a good enough effort, and the next thing the Jets knew it was in the back of their net. All because of a bad pass ... Calgary’s second goal was also on the power play, and that time it was because of Tanner Glass’ offensive zone penalty. Again, the little things that can be avoided are killing the Jets on the road.

Wheels uses wheels

There’s something you don’t see every day: Blake Wheeler, of all people, was the last man back to stop Alex Tanguay’s breakaway attempt in the first period. It was a great play by Wheeler, who can get it done at both ends of the ice ... There were quite a few lazy plays for Winnipeg in the first period. Wonder if that is mental or physical fatigue from playing the night before. The Flames simply won the battle to score the third goal and go up 3-0 ... Good to see former Manitoba Moose forward Guillaume Desbiens up in the NHL with the Flames. He was one of those “good guys” in the Moose dressing room who always spoke to the media no matter what ... The Jets deserve plenty of credit for at least making a game of it. They could have folded the tents after going down 3-0, but they kept going to the net and firing pucks at Miikka Kiprusoff. It resulted in Evander Kane’s 27th of the season.

Kane a thinner Kessel?

Just for fun, I went back and looked at a player who was drafted around the same time as Kane and had similar stats after three seasons. The closest comparison is none other than Phil Kessel, who signed a five-year $27-million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs going into his fourth NHL season. Kane will be a restricted free agent after this season ... Wheeler’s goal late in the first period sure was a beauty, giving him tallies in four consecutive games ... Props to Grant Clitsome for a great pass to Wheeler on the play. It was Clitsome’s first point in his third game as a Jet.

Byfuglien, sound it out

There was a funny bit during the first intermission on TSN Jets, as Dustin Byfuglien’s teammates were asked how to spell his last name. Some didn’t even attempt. Little did and whiffed badly: B-U-F-Y-L-I-U-N ... Little had a great chance to tie the game in the second, but the puck hit Mark Giordano’s foot and then went off the post. The only bad break that didn’t happen to Little on that play was him getting struck by lightning ... Twice the Flames were called for icing with Randy Jones chasing after the puck. What the booing Flames fans didn’t realize is Jones really is that slow! ... Another offensive zone penalty for captain Andrew Ladd, and another power-play goal for the opposition. It’s amazing that continues to happen ... Hindsight is 20-20, but why not start Chris Mason in this game. He has great stats, and he’s from nearby Red Deer to boot.